Polyester Films

Many advances in the digital and information revolution over the past four decades owe a great deal to developments in several key material technologies. A case in point is polyester films, which comprise and enable many critical components in various flat panel displays, photovoltaics, microelectronics systems, and biomedical applications, among others. This chapter provides a brief historical overview of polyester film technology since its inception in the mid-twentieth century. There are many types of polyester films in use today in many segments of industry, covering a wide variety of applications and gauges and possessing a range of properties, but the chapter focuses on the two key polyester film types, poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate), and contrasts these films with other high-performance polymer films used in several high-end application areas.